Page 20 of Alamort
She shakes her head but doesn’t seem offended by the question. Normally, people don’t have someone make a copy of your card to come and go as they please. But what do I know?
Zoning out, slowly nodding, I come to terms with this situation. If worse comes to worse, I’ll cut her off and if that’s not the case, then it wouldn’t hurt to have a friend. Giving up the lecture of breaking and entering, I tell her to help me get ready.
“Who’s that?” The picture I forgot to put back away lies on the nightstand.
“My sister.” I say clipped, ending that conversation.
“Oh wow. She’s hot.” Swooning in her voice.
I chuckle, “Yeah, she is, huh?” I can’t bring myself to look at her. And I never tell her she’s dead. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to bring myself to say the words. Because saying she’s gone would make it real.
“Hey, speaking of breaking and entering. Did you make that card today? Or yesterday?”
“This morning. Bright and early. Figured I could always be at your disposal.” She bows as if it is a gift to be my friend and it makes me nauseous. I don’t want to disappoint her when she figures out I’m not that great.
“Help me get ready for my first day of prison, Nosy Norma.” I throw my pillow at her, almost knocking over her tea.
Looking at my schedule, it all coincides with Rivers, and I’m not sure if I should be thankful or suspicious. All but one, Psychology.
“Physical Education?” I huff.
“Yeah... P.E?” She squints at me.
“I know what it is. I completed all the graduation requirements last year. Don’t know why I have to do a fourth year of it.” Sucking my teeth. I hated it then, and I’m sure I’ll hate it even more here. It’s the first class of the day. I thought seniors get seniority and some sort of special treatment for it being their last year. Thank God I don’t wear makeup.
“We all get an extra 30 minutes to shower and get ready for the day again. If that makes you feel better. It’s a requirement to shower afterwards. Leaves us shorter classes so, that’s always nice.” Miss Sunshine over here, looking at the bright side of running laps first thing in the morning.
I took longer than expected to actually get up and moving, procrastinating the inevitable, the first day at a new school. I grabbed us each a protein bar that was already stocked in my room for breakfast. Finishing my breakfast, we walk into the huge gym to get into the locker rooms. River hands me a lock from out of her backpack with a set of school standard gym clothes. What else does she have in there? Because it seems like she’s more prepared for today than I am. With no one inside the locker rooms, I hurry to get changed before anyone says anything about my body or scars. River has seen me naked. I side eye her. At least she was an excellent date that night she stayed over, even made coffee in the morning for me.
Pulling my shirt down over my sports bra, an overwhelming amount of chatter filters in, lockers slam open and shut. There’s a handful of freshmen in our class. The girl with permanent marker on her face, courtesy of Amber, is silent as she makes her way to the locker next to me. Her make up doesn’t do a very good job of covering the arrows and lines nor the word on her forehead. A grimace makes its way to my face as I head out of the locker room with River.
“Amber went a little overboard with Lily last night.” She whispers.
“Just Lily? The whole thing was absurd. She went ‘overboard’ because her boyfriend is a man whore who can’t keep his hands to himself. Or if that wasn’t the case, then say ‘No’.” I shake my head at the ridiculousness of it.
River shrugs her shoulders. “Everyone gets welcomed their first year that way.”
“Yep! That explains it all.” Sarcasm laces my voice. “Amber tried to pull that shit with me in front of everyone.”
Anger replaces the look on her face.
“Ohmigod, no she didn’t!” Nodding to confirm shereallydid.
“That’s double fucked up. That’s never been done before, or at least I haven’t heard of it done to a senior.”
“It came with a lovely warning of staying away from her boyfriend.” Not mentioning Bennett’s close proximity to me earlier that day is probably the cause. Better to keep it to myself.
“Priya,” seriousness laces her tone as she looks me in the eye, “stay away from them. The Demons and the Angels. Not just because of Amber, they’re all bad news. That girl you asked about, Megan? The word is the Demons had something to do with her disappearance. I’m not sure how much is true, but it’s better safe than sorry. No one knows how capable a person can truly be.”
That’s the truth.
Walking out to the gym on a standing white board in a red dry erase marker is the teacher’s name and what we’re supposed to do.
“Mr. Riley - Warm up: 3 laps around gym.”
A collective groan comes from over half of the class. I do a mental rundown of my physical health and it isn’t very good. Well, it never has been, if I’m honest. My appetite has shrunkover the last nine months and the last time I had a drink of water was when it hit my lip in the shower.
On a more positive note, my mother made sure I ran constantly to lose weight if I ate something she didn’t agree with. Three laps should be easy.